Merchandise distributing apparatus for warehouses



April 30, 1957 A. C. GRIFFITH MERCHANDISE DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS FOR WAREHOUSES Filed Aug. 26. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR YLCCGr 21/ 357 ATTORNEYS 2,790,527 MERCHANDISE DISTRIBUTINd APPARATUS FOR WAREHOUSES Filed Aug. 26, 1954 A. C. GRIFFITH April 30, 1957 k 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS April 30, 1957 A. c. GRIFFITH 2,790,527 MERCHANDISE DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS FOR WAREHOUSES 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 26 1954 I Wad 15?. 6 .6 7" zl/fz' 2AA.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent" "ice MERCHANDISE DISTRIBUTING APFARATUS FOR WAREHOUSES Arthur C. Grifiith, Kingston, Pa. Application August 26, 1954, Serial No. 452,409

1 Claim. (Cl. 193-35) This invention relates to a merchandise distributing apparatus for warehouses and the like and has as its primary object the provision of apparatus to facilitate and expedite the distribution of packaged merchandise from stored position in a warehouse to a shipping platform or the like.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of mechanical means including gravity conveyors and an endless conveyor for selecting a package of merchandise from a given position, conveying the same to a shipping platform without the necessity of manual handling.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of means which may be actuated from a remote point whereby the quantity of packages of a particular type goods or merchandise to be passed to the shipping platform may be selected as desired.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of means whereby merchandise from a selected stack or stacks may be directly passed by gravity conveyors to an endless belt conveyor leading, directly to the shipping'platform.

Still other objects reside in the combination of elements, arrangement of parts, and features of construction, all of which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawing wherein there is shown a preferred embodiment of this invention concept.

'In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic top plan view of a warehouse for the storage of packaged goods incorporating the apparatus of theinstant invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, certain concealed parts being indicated in dotted lines, of one of the gravity conveyors adapted for transporting merchandise to the endless conveyor;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 2, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of Figure 2, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 6 is a schematic wiring diagram of electrical motors employed in the control of the gravity conveyors;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken substantially along the line 77 of Figure 3, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of portions of the structure as shown in Figure 2.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail. There is generally indicated at 10 a warehouse, including a building structure 11 of any desired size, number of floors, and construction, which building has at one end a shipping platform 12 and an exit door 13 leading from the 2,790,527 Patented Apr. 30,

interior of the building to the platform. An endless conveyor belt 14, of desired conventional type, extends the full length of the building in alignment with the door 13.

The conveyor belt 14 may be driven in any desired conventional manner and controlled by similar conventional means.

Positioned substantially at right angles to belt 14 are a plurality of gravity conveyors 15, to be more fully described hereinafter. The number as well as the length of conveyors 15 may be varied in accordance with the size and shape of the warehouse.

Referring now particularly to Figure 2, the endless conveyor belt 14 is shown as comprised of a horizontally positioned belt 16 extending over a plurality of rollers 17 which rollers are carried by axles 18, one end of each axle being mounted in a journal 19 carried by a suitable upright 20, and the other end being rotatably mounted in a journal 21 carried by an L-shaped angle iron leg 22 which forms an integral part of each gravity conveyor 15.

Referring now to the gravity conveyors 15 in detail, it will be seen that each is comprised of a frame which includes an angularly inclined pair of spaced apart channel members 23 supported by'legs 24, of graduated height, so that the portion of the frame away from conveyor belt 14 is elevated in such manner that packages 25 supported thereon will move by gravity in the direction of conveyor belt 14. Such movement is facilitated by rollers 26 mounted on axles 27 and journalled in the side walls of angle iron members 23, these rollers being spaced apart a distance at least slightly in excessof the diameter of the rollers.

Mounted between legs 22 immediately adjacent con veyor belt 14 is a roller 30 carried by upright extensions 31 and mounted on an axle 32 extending between the upright extensions 31. The roller 30 is at an elevation slightly higher than conveyor belt 14 and also above rollers 26, and therefore serves normally as a stop for the packages 25 on gravity conveyors 15.

Mounted between channels 23 is a plate or platform 35 which carries at its ends (see Figure 4), rollers 36 mounted on stub axles 37 which are adapted for vertical movement in the channels formed by legs 22 and corresponding channels formed by uprights 48 to be more fully described hereinafter. (See Figures 4 and 7.) .The plate 35 has secured to theupper surface thereof a plurality of U-shaped brackets 38, the upwardly extending legs 39 of which serve as journals for the ends of axles 40 which carry rollers 41, the latter being spaced between adjacent rollers 26 and adapted for vertical movement with plate 35 in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter.

A transverse angle iron extends between legs 22 and serves to support one end of a pair of spaced angle irons 46 which comprise a drive frame support, the other member of the members 46 being carried by a transversely extending angle iron 47 extending between the foremost pair of legs 24.

The uprights 48 extend upwardly between members 46 and members 23 and serve to accommodate the rear rollers 36 of plate 35, as previously described. Depending from the underside of plate 35 are two pairs of spaced brackets 50 to which are pivotally connected as by means of pivots 51, links 52, which are pivoted at their opposite ends as by means of pivots 53 to offset lugs 54 carried respectively by sprocket wheels 55 and oppositely aligned circular members 56.

There are two sprocket wheels 55, each mounted on an axle 57, the opposite end of each axle 57 carrying one of wheels 56 and each axle being journalled in a pair of supporting journals 58 carried by members 45. Sprocket wheelsfifisl. are connected rtogetherlbyi meanslof a chain 60 for simultaneous rotation, and the rearmost of axles 57 is provided, as best shown in Figure 5, with a second sprockets 61 connectedqby means sea chers 62 foa'sprockit=z63c carricd byeansaxlecfliexteriding through a conven- Jional: igearrreduc'tionizbox- :65. e'rlheifotherfendebfl ,axlexfid is connected by means of chain 66 to a sprocket 67which 'inzturn is mounted on the drive 'shaf't68'zof' a/conventional -electric :tnoitor :69;.-o'f::any: ;desired=. .type; sbothogear box 65 and motor 69 being mounted on a supporting-plate carried byisupporting frame members 46.

f 1A3 ibest; shown in. Figure 6,-. zeachfzgrayitya conveyor 15 is provided with, a moto'rz-69; one brush 1710f reach? motor beingiconnectedjo, a :c'ornmon cold' :line "Ila; :while from the other brush 72 of each 'motorta swire 73"le'ad's to :one t erminal.74 of aesyvitch ;75,-;ofz;any;;desired conventional @YP6rz=9fiCh;-switch- 75 being connected to, aco'mm on. hot line {7.6. The switches {15: maysbezlocated at; any desired remote control point and selectively energized to actuate ,the'associated motor69. V

,yFrom; the foregoing, the operation oiilthe device'should Jo dily understandable. Packages 25 are,-;,'stackedv on gravity conveyors ,lSiin aligned relation-with the -plate"35 in its lowered position so that rollers 41 are in substantial alignment with rollers :26, in which position the roller 30 59 .31% p lu ;pa sas r. z y o the -p as onto conveyor b el t 14. When it is desiredto move thetpackage from its associated;gravity conveyor :to shipping platform 1%,; the associated-motor -69 is; energized,-;and through the ,systemiof tchains 66 'andl angl 60, previously described, ;rptates the fsprocket wheels 55 througha half turn to positionthe oifset lugs Sfl injth position-disclosed inFigures 2 and;3. whereupon the'firstpackage fi is raised to a po tion-aboveiroller 30 and 1 nay= then roll by gravity onto cofnveyor belt 1 4 from lwhich point itis movedautomatically to the shipping platform 12. p p

.D uri ngtthis operation'the rearmostof-rollers 41 in its riaisedvpositionj'serves asan eifec'tive stopagainstthe forfuiard passage'of the succeeding package 25. Qbviously, additional ene'rg i z ation of motor 69 willlowerrollers 41 sothafth'e nektpackage 25 is moved by gravity into a position over the rollers ll from which position it may be transferred-to conveyor belt 14, as previously described. .Obviously,. anydesired number of packages from a single,{gravityconveyor may be moved to the conveyor belt, and equally liviously a-package may be movedirom a s d s v c v o t .9 e qr be t 143s de s ird,,.'i rierelyby closingfthe appropriatesvvitch Z5. fl =rom: tlie. tore goin'gitvvill now beseen that-there is erei provided, a fi i r o d appar t s o m v n 1 ch ndise'jfrorn the storagefposit ion in a wa rehousest o a shipping Ipltitfdrm, Which accomplishes all. ofthe objects i asso-ea? 10 rollers having a plifi'a a of 2 this invention and :others including; many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept and as many modifications may be madein the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and fidtiii:=.a limiting sense.

evice' ioi iisefiivitliiiicliiidgfavity y o spacdp'arallel rollers and supported on a framegsaii's' top -iiaefiibei' :at the'discharge end of said gravity ,roller, said transferdevice comprising a substantially 'i'ectdiigiilai plate Barrage pair'bfiipposed sides, said plate beingdisposed berieathfsaid gravity roller 15 adjacent the discharge end in spaced parallel relation thereto, one of said sides being fixedly secured to a pair of spaced opposed parallel angle bars, a plurality of U- shHpedbracketS-,:eah of saidzbrackts having a biglit porti'onand a pair of opposediarms; said bight of each ofsa'id brackets being ifixedly: securedz to'vtheotheri'offlsaid' sides of isaid; plate; a; :plurality of 'rollers i rotatably journa'lled inand disposed intermediate said 2 opposed arms I of" said brackets, said rollers being interspersed-for reciprocating vet-tic almovemjentiinterme diatersaid s'p'aced gravity: rollers,

spaced pairsvof opposing-supporting arms, each of said arms-having a pairvofl opposedzends; one 'of-said ends :of each ofi said a'r being'pivotally,connected to :saidangle ait l 'f l zlfl il' Q5:sprocketawhecls fiXedlyI'secured to-bpposite ends of shafts, said shafts being rotatably mounted on said framq'qsaidrother endiof maid-supporting arms beipgpiyotally connecteddo said sprocket wheels toefie'ct reciprocal vertical- ;movementi2ofwsaid supporting arins, gon tinuousj-gchains -;oonnect-ing;zsaid sprocket :wheels for eiie'cting series movement of isaid i-wheels,"and-motor means mounted; on said frame, saidw-motor means being connected in driving;relationvtosaid' sprocket wheels for effecting movement-of said wheels.

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